The Glass Chamber
by Nixa Jane
Summary: Daniel and the rest of SG-1 are taken prisoner by Na’rya a Goa’uld queen and she chooses Daniel as her beloved. The other three team members are sent home while Daniel is left at the mercy of yet another ruthless Goddess. *COMPLETED*
1. Another's Beloved

The Glass Chamber  
  
by Layton Colt  
  
Daniel and the rest of SG-1 are taken prisoner by Na'rya a Goa'uld queen and she chooses Daniel as her beloved. The other three team members are sent home while Daniel is left at the mercy of another ruthless Goddess.  
  
  
  
Part One: Another's Beloved  
  
Just another day in the life of SG-1, Jack thought as he was forced to kneel before yet another parasite claiming to be a God.  
  
His head was still reeling at how quickly this 'routine' mission had deteriorated. Daniel had been talking with the natives and had suddenly paled calling out quickly to O'Neill, "Jack, I think that there might be a Goa'uld on this planet… they keep saying that their god is coming…"  
  
Barely had the words left his mouth that the four teammates were stormed by Jaffa, Daniel -futilely- had tried to reason with them but the Jaffa had only dragged them on mercilessly. The first prime was the only one who said anything, claiming that they had trespassed and must face judgment at the hands of their goddess…  
  
Which brought them to their current predicament…  
  
Another perfect host walked from the shadows, a beautiful woman with long blond curls and surreal gray eyes. Jack didn't like how her gaze passed over all of them, lingering a little too long on Daniel.  
  
Daniel's track record with women was less than stellar… Sha'ure got kidnapped and taken over by a Goa'uld… and don't even get him started on Hathor.  
  
And now this one, he could see the look in her eyes… the same look Hathor had had every time she looked at Daniel.  
  
"My, my…" the Goa'uld purred. "What have we here?"  
  
"Trespassers my queen, what do you wish us to do with them?"  
  
The woman stepped in front of Daniel and Jack mentally groaned. With an evil smirk the woman ran her hand down Daniel's cheek, he turned his head away but his hands were tied and he couldn't stop her.  
  
"Leave the young one with me, take the others to a holding cell,"  
  
"Oh, I don't think so…" Jack blurted out as he rose from his knees. "You're not going to touch him."  
  
The woman turned to him with a smile, the amusement evident in her eyes, "And you believe you will stop me? Like you stopped Hathor from 'touching him'?"  
  
Jack's eyes widened, how did she know about Hathor?  
  
She laughed, "What? You thought I did not know who you are? The murderers of Ra? You're quite famous really, such a prize. And as for Hathor's beloved, well I've always told Hathor that whatever she has I can take from her." The woman ran her hand down Daniel's chest. "And he is defiantly worth taking… I can see why Hathor picked him as her chosen one… he is quite handsome…"  
  
Jack's eyes grew darker, "He's just a kid, you want to pick on someone? Then deal with me."  
  
"Jack, don't," Daniel said softly, his tone firm.  
  
The Goa'uld Queen walked over to Jack now, who had his arms held firmly behind his back by her first prime, "I almost would," she said softly. "You have both proven your worth in the killing of Ra but I much prefer innocence and youth."  
  
Jack tried to pull away from the Jaffa's firm grip, "You stay away from him," he hissed. "Or so help me…"  
  
The evil smirk was back in place as the woman again spoke, "On second thought, send the other three back home. I'm sure that will provide sufficient punishment for their trespass, the mind is the darkest prison."  
  
Jack's eyes widened, she wouldn't just allow them to leave?  
  
"I want you to dial up the planet they call Earth and push them through, then guard the Chappa'i so that they may not return."  
  
"I'm not leaving without Daniel," Jack said.  
  
"I'm not giving you a choice," the woman shot back.  
  
"Go, Jack," Daniel said with quiet determination. "Get Sam and Teal'c home safe. I'll be fine."  
  
"Fine!" Jack roared. "No, I don't think so,"  
  
"Take them away," the Goa'uld ordered for the first time using the characteristic booming modulation of her kind.  
  
"No," Jack struggled as the Jaffa began to drag three of the teammates away.  
  
"Try to send them through relatively unharmed, will you, Casen?" The queen called sweetly to her first prime, her voice returning to a soft lilt.  
  
"Damn it, let me go!" Jack cried as they were pulled further from that megalomaniac's palace. Further away from Daniel.  
  
"Finally alone," the queen purred as Jack's frantic shouts finally faded into the distance.  
  
Daniel remained silent.  
  
"I'm much better than Hathor, you know,"  
  
"Really?" Daniel said with a small grin. "And who might you be? You seem to know quite a lot about me and my friends but I've yet to learn even your name."  
  
The woman's eyes glowed briefly, "I am Na'rya…" she breathed.  
  
Daniel shut his eyes, "Na'rya? I don't remember ever reading about a goddess named Na'rya."  
  
"I am the mother of Hathor," the woman said sounding offended.  
  
"Her mother!" Daniel blurted.  
  
"Yes, I always knew my daughter had good taste… we usually do fight over men. I can't wait to inform her who I've taken as my new beloved. Taken you from her just as she stole Ra from me…"  
  
"Now wait just a minute, Hathor drugged me, as I'm sure you know. Apparently you don't share that particular trait or I would already be under your control. Let me guarantee you, as long as I'm thinking clearly I'll be no one's beloved."  
  
"Oh, Daniel," Na'rya's whispered. "You will submit to me… I may not possess the deceptive pheromones of my daughter but that is only because I have other ways to gain control…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack felt himself fly through the event horizon landing hard on the ramp. Closing his eyes briefly in relief that Carter had entered the code into the GDO in time he quickly pulled himself up from the ground.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill," came the concerned voice of General Hammond as he entered the embarkation room. "Where's Doctor Jackson?"  
  
Jack suppressed a groan, how many times had the General asked that question? How many times is it now that he'd left Daniel behind?  
  
"He's been taken prisoner by a Goa'uld, sir," he reported, sounding a lot calmer than he felt.  
  
"A Goa'uld?" the General echoed. "How were you able to get away?"  
  
Jack flinched, "She didn't want us, sir. She had us sent back through the gate."  
  
"What does she want Dr. Jackson for?"  
  
God, he really didn't want to know.  
  
"I think she might have taken him as her beloved," Jack admitted sounding disgusted by the very idea.  
  
General Hammond nodded, "What's your recommendation, Colonel? Do you think we can attempt a rescue?"  
  
Ah, yea. "Yes, we'll need to take in some marines though, the gate will be guarded."  
  
"O'Neill," Teal'c said. "I do not believe attempting a rescue at this time would be wise. It is what the Goa'uld queen expects."  
  
"Well, I don't plan on disappointing her."  
  
"I too fear for Daniel Jackson, O'Neill but there will be Jaffa in front of the gate, if we go through chances are that we will be dead before we realize we've reached our destination."  
  
"Then what are you suggesting, Teal'c? That we just leave Daniel there, with her?"  
  
"No, I am merely suggesting we wait until the Goa'uld no longer expects us to return."  
  
Jack snorted, "And how long do you think that will be? A year maybe two? Teal'c what the hell are you thinking? We've got to get back there now."  
  
"The Goa'uld are not a patient race, O'Neill, if you wait even a week you will increase the chances of successfully rescuing Daniel Jackson considerably."  
  
"Then it's settled?" the General asked. "We'll wait a week and then attempt a rescue."  
  
"What?" O'Neill roared. "Nothing's been settled. There's no telling what that… that thing will do to Daniel if we leave him there a week."  
  
"Jack," the General said obligingly, using his subordinates' first name to try and get through to him. "You won't help Daniel if you lead a group of teams in to a suicide mission. You and your team are on stand down until next week at which time you will attempt a rescue, understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir," O'Neill ground out.  
  
"Dismissed, Colonel."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Tell me, beloved, how old are you?"  
  
Daniel rolled his eyes, "I have no intentions of cooperating with you."  
  
Na'rya raised her ribbon device, "Don't make this harder on us both, Daniel. I only asked your age, is withholding it really worth the pain I will inflict on you?"  
  
Daniel sighed, "I'm twenty six, why? What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"So young, how is it you carry so much knowledge if you are such a child?"  
  
"I'm not a child, and I graduated a few years ahead… what is this about?"  
  
Na'rya picked up a small silver box of a nearby table, "Do you know what this is?" she asked quietly.  
  
Daniel shook his head, "No, what is it?"  
  
"You've encountered it before… it almost killed the one you call O'Neill."  
  
Daniel stared at the box, he couldn't remember ever seeing anything like it or remember it harming his friend.  
  
"It made him grow old beyond his time," Na'rya supplied.  
  
Oh, yes that. Nano-technology. He could still remember how Jack had aged years in only days.  
  
"What are you going to do with it? You want me to grow older?"  
  
Na'rya gave a wry smile, "On the contrary I want you to stay young."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It can work both ways my beloved. These, once given to you will make you forever young."  
  
Daniel gasped, he didn't want to be immortal, certainly not if the rest of his life was to be spent with this woman. "No, I don't want to stay young."  
  
"You Tau'ri, you don't understand do you? I care not of your wants. You are my beloved and I will protect you but you will obey me. Now kneel and this will be less painful…"  
  
Daniel remained standing and Na'rya's eyes glowed angrily, lifting her ribbon device she drove Daniel to his knees. Dazed from shock and pain Daniel was unable to move as Na'rya opened the box and ruthlessly forced its contents down his throat.  
  
Daniel felt like fire had been dragged down his throat, he fell down on his hands as he felt the nano-technology meld with him. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was Na'rya lifting his chin and kissing him softly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack couldn't believe it, a week. They wanted to wait a week? Daniel would walk through fire to save any one of them, hell, he'd just sacrificed himself to some crazy Goa'uld to get them home safe, and they wanted to leave him there for seven days?  
  
There was no doubt in his mind that they shouldn't be waiting.  
  
But his team hadn't backed him up.  
  
He couldn't understand Teal'c of all people recommending to wait. He knew that Teal'c was just as protective of Daniel as he was…  
  
Okay so maybe Teal'c was just being sensible but god damn it Daniel was at that woman's mercy and he couldn't stand the thought of what she might do to him with a week.  
  
He knew that they were right, that he was the one being unreasonable.  
  
But that wouldn't make getting through the next week any easier.  
  
"Colonel?" Sam said quietly as she entered his office. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, Captain," he snapped. "I'm not the one that got left behind."  
  
Carter flinched, "I'm sure Daniel will be fine, sir. He's a lot tougher than he use to be."  
  
"Is that supposed to make me fell better? It doesn't. He never should have had to toughen up. He never should have been allowed on SG-1."  
  
"Sir," Carter gasped. "You can't mean that, after all Daniel's done…"  
  
"I'm not saying Daniel hasn't proven himself, Carter. On the contrary he's given everything he has to this program but what has he got in return?"  
  
"This is his choice, sir. It's where he wants to be."  
  
"But is it best for him?"  
  
Sam shook her head, "I don't know. But that's not the point. What matters is that Daniel needs to be part of SG-1, just as much as we need him. And when we get him back I have no doubts that he'll bounce back and head right back through the gate…"  
  
"And back into danger,"  
  
"We all take risks, it's no different with Daniel."  
  
"It is!" Jack cried. "He's just a kid Carter, only twenty six, did you know that? He doesn't like to tell people his age, I'm sure you can guess why."  
  
"Twenty six?" Carter echoed. "I thought he was at least twenty eight."  
  
"Now do you understand why its different with Daniel? Why he shouldn't be out there."  
  
"No, I don't care how old Daniel is, I don't care if he isn't a soldier. I wouldn't want him any other way… he belongs out there, more than any of us…"  
  
Jack sighed, "I know that's true, that Daniel would have a fit if he knew I was even considering sticking him behind a desk job, but Carter don't you understand? Every time he bounces back, every time he goes back through the gate and gets hurt that it's my fault? My responsibility?"  
  
"Sir, it isn't…"  
  
"It is, ever since I first met him I felt the urge to look out for him, even when I was calling him a dweeb and acting like a jerk. He was so wide eyed and innocent…so much like Char…" Jack broke off and pressed his eyes shut.  
  
"Like Charlie? Is that what this is about?"  
  
"Daniel was the first person I would let close after Charlie died, after we brought him back from Abydos and he was so lost… I took responsibility for him, Carter. I vowed that I wouldn't let him get hurt and look at all that he's been through. I can't protect him, it doesn't matter how much I try to… he still gets hurt."  
  
"Daniel isn't Charlie, Jack," Carter said softly. "He'd never forgive you if you cut him from the team, like I said this is where he belongs and you need to pull yourself together so that we can bring him home…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Daniel's head was still spinning. He was vaguely aware that he was again kneeling before Na'rya but he couldn't focus.  
  
The time since he regained consciousness was blurred and he was sure he must have been drugged. He could tell he'd been given new attire, he was now clad only in a pair of intricately decorated cream colored pants and his skin appeared to be tinged with gold. And he knew that Na'rya had applied brown kohl to his eyes as well. The most noticeable change, however would have to be that his hair had been cropped short, it was disconcerting that his bangs no longer fell into his eyes.  
  
"Well my beloved, you clean up quite nicely…"  
  
Daniel shook his head slightly, trying to clear the fog…  
  
"I'm sure you must be feeling beside yourself," Na'rya said sweetly. "That would be the aftereffects of the Nano-technology, I have not drugged you young one as I'm sure you have assumed. Not yet, anyway."  
  
"My friends?" he asked weakly. He had to force himself to focus.  
  
"Your friends have made it through the Chappa'i. You have no need to worry about them. You need only worry about yourself."  
  
"Do you really expect me to ever give in to you?" he was still feeling dazed but the fire blazing in his blue eyes was unmistakable.  
  
Na'rya frowned, "Of course, I have all eternity to break you my Daniel. I believe the more relevant question is do you really believe you'll be strong enough not to give in? I've broken the proudest of soldiers. I shall have no trouble gaining rule over a child."  
  
Daniel let out a breath in frustration, "I am not a child and I will not give in, you want to spend all eternity playing your sick games, be my guest but you have no idea what I'm capable of."  
  
"Bold words,"  
  
"And you can guarantee I'll provide the actions to back them up,"  
  
Na'rya gave him a smirk, "Hathor had told me you were strong, she said you overcame her breath for a brief moment, as had the one you call O'Neill. I'd be foolish not to admit that the Tauri have become stronger but you are still slaves. Rebellious slaves, perhaps a little too clever for my liking but slaves none the less."  
  
Daniel laughed, it came out sounding manic in his dazed state, "You know it amuses me to no end how you can call us slaves. Do you even realize how much you need us? You are nothing without us and you know it. I don't think you're quite so arrogant as you pretend. You know exactly what we are and you're terrified of us. Terrified that we'll fight back, and that we'll win."  
  
"You know nothing!" Na'rya hissed.  
  
"You're parasites, nothing more. Hiding behind the titles of Gods, do you even realize what an idiotic notion that is? How ridiculous it sounds? Five minutes with your people is all I need. Five minutes to convince them of what you really are. Do you think you're stronger than those slaves? That your small army of Jaffa could fight off the thousands of people that you're allowing to starve?"  
  
"Enough!" Na'rya growled. "I will not listen to this mutiny. Not even from my beloved."  
  
"You're nothing, a mere hindrance, you call us slaves? You're the one trapped in a body that isn't yours. Forced to inhabit us greater beings because you can't do anything but slither along the ground with out us…"  
  
"You will cease!"  
  
"The Goa'uld are like a virus, spreading and infecting the pure. We're not the slaves, you are. You hide behind the façade of being a God but you are still nothing but a glorified snake. Do you think if you showed those people your true form that they would still bow before you?"  
  
Na'rya's eyes blazed angrily as she moved in front of Daniel, raising her ribbon device and activating it. Daniel never flinched. He'd been expecting it but the pain would be worth the satisfaction he'd got at watching her reaction to his words.  
  
He was right that this Goa'uld wasn't as arrogant as most. She'd been listening to him and he'd seen the doubt flicker in her eyes. It was only a moment and a small victory but Daniel had made a Goa'uld doubt their superiority.  
  
And he had all of eternity to make that doubt grow.  
  
Unfortunately, he wasn't entirely sure that Na'rya wasn't right. If she began to drug him he wasn't sure that he could keep from breaking.  
  
He'd been speaking with false bravado earlier, really he was scared to death because he wouldn't get five minutes with Na'rya's people. He wouldn't get a chance to explain. He was a prisoner and though he would do everything he could to escape he was pretty sure he wouldn't succeed. If anything he could tell that Na'rya was no fool. She hadn't ignored his words because of her pride, and he was sure her superciliousness was an act. This woman wasn't one to underestimate an opponent. Not even if they were nothing but a slave. A rare trait in a God.  
  
Of all the Goa'uld they had met thus far, he guessed she was by far the most dangerous.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack gripped his gun tighter as the first chevron locked. He'd survived the week.  
  
Now all he could do was pray that Daniel had as well.  
  
Their plan was simple, go in and retrieve Daniel, SG-3 would be backing them up, a couple of extra marines were also thrown into the mix.  
  
The problem was that none of them knew what to expect, what they would find when they found Daniel. Not even Teal'c knew what would be going on the other side of the gate.  
  
Jack, personally didn't care if he had to walk through a battlefield. He'd had to wait a week, he was going to bring Daniel home, he'd waited long enough.  
  
Daniel had waited long enough.  
  
"SG-1, you have a go," The General's voice rang across the room.  
  
Jack looked up in surprise and saw that the wormhole had already been established. "Okay team, let's go,"  
  
With a well hidden shuddering sigh, Jack led the way through.  
  
Once on the other side Jack immediately got his bearings, seeing only two Jaffa he took out the one nearest to him, Teal'c, who had appeared beside him took out the other.  
  
"Is it normal to have only two Jaffa guarding the Stargate?" O'Neill asked Teal'c as the last soldiers exited the wormhole and it shut down.  
  
"It is if there is no perceived threat, the Goa'uld may believe we've given up on hope of a rescue. However, there will also be a third Jaffa patrolling the area, we should leave before he returns."  
  
Jack nodded, "Alright, Makepeace, I want you and your men to take cover in the forest, watch the Stargate and take out any Jaffa you can. But don't take them on if you think they're more than you can handle."  
  
Makepeace nodded and Jack continued, "I'm going to take my team back to the palace, I think we stand a better chance if only the three of us go but stay in contact on the radio in case we need backup."  
  
Makepeace smiled, "Yes, sir. We'll be right here."  
  
Jack nodded and headed off in to the trees, he Sam and Teal'c went off in a different direction as they reached cover. They decided to reach the palace through the forest instead of following the worn path where they could have been easily spotted.  
  
"I can see the palace," Sam said passing her binoculars to O'Neill. "What do you think is the best way in?"  
  
"The front door," Jack said. "There is a lot of Jaffa around the back but the entrance is hardly guarded. It's the last thing someone would expect."  
  
"I agree, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "This Goa'uld does not seem particularly concerned with security."  
  
"Right, okay kids, let's head out,"  
  
Sam nodded and followed Teal'c and O'Neill as they exited the trees and started for the huge palace doors. Both doors had been swung wide open and she could see the empty throne on one side of the room.  
  
The other side of the room…  
  
"Sir," Sam said quietly as they entered the empty palace. "There's someone over there."  
  
Jack turned to where his second in command was pointing. On the other side of the room was a young man with short blondish hair. He was kneeling on a myriad of pillows, his head bowed so they couldn't see his face.  
  
Squinting his eyes, Jack got closer getting a sinking feeling in his gut, "Daniel?" he whispered.  
  
Sam turned to him in shock, she'd never thought for a moment that the broken man before her could be Daniel.  
  
Jack broke into a run but Teal'c caught up with him and grabbed his arm, "Do not, O'Neill. I believe he has been placed in a glass chamber."  
  
"What's a glass chamber?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"It is a room that appears to have no walls but which no one but the Gods may enter."  
  
Jack nodded but still moved closer, kneeling before the unresponsive man careful not to touch the 'walls' he whispered, "Is that you, Danny?"  
  
It was a stupid question, now that he'd gotten closer he could see that it was, he could also tell he'd been drugged out of his mind. He winced when he saw the goldish paint he was covered in and the scant clothing he was adorned with. The bitch had even cropped off his hair.  
  
"Christ, what has she done to you?" he whispered.  
  
"You will back away from my beloved," a booming voice demanded.  
  
The three 'would be' rescuers whirled around to see, the Goa'uld queen, flanked by at least twelve of her Jaffa.  
  
"You were foolish to return," she said softly, Jack looked deeply in her eyes unsure if the admiration he'd heard in her voice was genuine. "However I never doubted that you would… I've been waiting, you took longer than I would have guessed but I suppose it's for the best, because you've come by far too late. My beloved will not leave with you… he is under my control."  
  
Jack glared, "He doesn't want anything to do with you," he growled, growing even angrier as a smirk appeared in response to his words.  
  
"Oh, I'll admit he was strong, foolish as you are. His numerous escape attempts infuriated me to no end and he suffered much needless pain but it is I who has prevailed. Slaves can only take so much before they succumb…"  
  
Sam's eyes narrowed, "He hasn't succumbed, you've got him drugged. You haven't changed anything. As soon as the drugs leave his system so will your control."  
  
Na'rya turned her cold eyes in Sam's direction. "That's where you are wrong. You've no idea what I've done to the young one while he's been in my company. The control I've gained over him is not so easily forfeited as that."  
  
"Why you…" Jack growled as Teal'c placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him from lunging at the queen.  
  
"Casen, take my newest guests to their new accommodations… I don't believe I'm feeling quite so generous this second time around."  
  
Her first prime nodded taking it upon himself to secure Jack and motioning two of his men to take care of Sam and Teal'c.  
  
"I swear, you will pay for what you've done," Jack whispered, his voice dangerously quiet as Casen pulled him out of the main room.  
  
As the room cleared, Na'rya's eyes flashed angrily and she used her ribbon device to send her throne into the wall, crashing it into pieces.  
  
"I don't like that I believe you, O'Neill…" she said to herself. "You must be taken care of, I cannot let my want to toy with you risk my position… You will be the first to die."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Daniel listened to Na'rya talking to her first prime as he pretended to be in the near catatonic state that the Goa'uld's drugs had continuously put him in.  
  
"What do you wish me to do with the prisoners my queen?"  
  
"Keep an eye on the one called O'Neill,"  
  
Daniel stifled a gasp at hearing Jack's name, grimacing he kept his head lowered and wished his friends hadn't attempted a rescue. Surely they knew that Na'rya had expected it.  
  
"He is not to be underestimated. I've already arranged his execution… tomorrow in the court yard. I wish to make an example of him to my people. Show them what happens to those who would betray me."  
  
Casen looked at his queen, was that fear he saw in her eyes? Surely a goddess would not be frightened of a mere slave. But he couldn't deny it, she was scared of these humans… and even he had to admit that they were different.  
  
His queen's young beloved had nearly escaped many times and each attempt despite the drugs clouding his mind he had seen fire in the blue depths of the prisoner's eyes.  
  
And the one called O'Neill he could tell was a warrior. Making threats, Casin had no doubt he would carry out, he didn't know which was more of a threat, the one with fire in his eyes or the one with ice in his voice.  
  
"I've never known you to kill your prisoners so quickly," Casin said cautiously. "They are usually made to suffer first."  
  
Na'rya's eyes flashed, "He isn't just any prisoner, I will not have my orders questions, Casin."  
  
Casin lowered his eyes, "I would never even think of questioning you, my queen."  
  
Na'rya nodded approvingly, "I should hope not. And know this, Casin. If you do I will find out…"  
  
With that Na'rya left the room, Casin following two paces behind.  
  
Daniel's head shot up, he couldn't allow her to kill Jack. He hadn't fully recovered from his last injection of Na'rya's potions but she was distracted and he was overdue for his next.  
  
So even though he wasn't at his best he was still thinking twice as fast as the average person. It took a lot to slow down Daniel's matchless intellect.  
  
Sliding the zat gun he'd stolen off one of Na'rya's Jaffa two days before he moved against the only solid wall and shot at the barrier in front of him that he couldn't see but knew existed.  
  
Firing volley after volley the air finally flickered and the barrier shut down. Daniel didn't waste time celebrating his small victory, he knew he didn't have much time. The farthest he'd gotten in his attempts at freedom was a mile from the Stargate. Na'rya was an extremely paranoid Goa'uld and never left him unguarded for long.  
  
He was just hoping that his teammates arrival had her distracted enough that she wasn't quite as vigilant as usual. Sticking the prized zat gun in his waist band he disappeared into the first hallway he came to.  
  
It had been almost pure luck that he had acquired the weapon. During one of his more successful getaways he had been tackled by three Jaffa, one of them lost their zat guns out of his belt holster and Daniel had had just enough time to hide it in his waist band before he was dragged back to face Na'rya's wrath  
  
Unfortunately he had not had a chance to make use of the gun until now, his latest escape had angered Na'rya considerably and she'd drugged him more than usual after knocking him unconscious with her ribbon device.  
  
Daniel wished again his friends hadn't come for him. They'd only complicated things in the attempt. He knew he couldn't allow Na'rya to kill Jack but he didn't know how to stop it. He didn't even know where in the palace that his friends were being held and he knew he was running out of time.  
  
Shaking his head in another futile attempt to clear it he took off the down the first hallway he came too, he vaguely recalled being put in a small dank room for punishment once… it had to have been the same place that Jack and the others were now.  
  
He barely remembered his imprisonment in the room but he called up all his inner strength to figure out which way to go. It was like following the path from a dream but he knew he was getting closer.  
  
As he came to the bottom of a flight of stairs he could hear Jack's angry voice, though his mind was still too fuzzy to distinguish any real words from the ramblings.  
  
"Ja'k," he croaked as he fell to his knees in front of the cell.  
  
The three team members turned at the voice and stared at Daniel in shock.  
  
"Daniel!" Jack gasped.  
  
"Get away from the door," Daniel ordered tiredly.  
  
Jack furrowed his brow but did as he was told.  
  
Daniel fired the weapon at the door three times and smiled slightly as it disappeared. No longer able to fight the darkness his eyes rolled back into his head and Jack fell down next to him just in time to keep him from hitting the ground.  
  
"I knew that bitch couldn't control him…" Jack said under his breath.  
  
"O'Neill," Teal'c said, "We must leave, I will carry Daniel Jackson."  
  
Jack was reluctant to release his hold on his friend but gently relinquished him into Teal'c's care.  
  
Nodding his approval as Teal'c lifted Daniel up as though he were weightless, Jack turned and began to lead them down the hall.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They were so close, the Stargate was mere feet in front of them and Jack had been foolish enough to believe they were home free.  
  
He'd let his guard down and now the impossibly beautiful want-to-be Goddess was blocking their path, her ribbon device wrapped around her palm and held outwards.  
  
She didn't look like she'd have much of a moral dilemma about using it.  
  
"You'll not leave here with my beloved, but I will allow you O'Neill, and your two other crewman to leave under the condition that this time you do not return."  
  
"Where are your Jaffa?" Jack asked looking around. It appeared that she was alone.  
  
"I need not an army to protect me from the likes of you, my people are losing faith. I plan to restore it by ridding them of you and returning with my beloved."  
  
Jack smirked, "But you're afraid you won't be able to defeat us so you're trying to bargain? You're not getting Daniel. I left him here once, nothing will get me to do it again."  
  
"He is not the same, even if you do leave here with him you'll not get your friend back."  
  
"He seemed fine when he rescued us, doesn't sound like something someone under your control would do,"  
  
"He is strong but he can not fight it forever, the nightmares of what I've done to him will haunt him for eternity… he will not overcome unless he is allowed to remain here with me. Only I can undue the damage that has been inflicted."  
  
"Damage you inflicted," O'Neill roared. "Do you really expect me to say 'yea, sure you can keep him'?"  
  
"He needs to finish the treatment or he will be destroyed. I've grown fond of him, I wish not to cause him anymore pain,"  
  
"I've heard enough, Carter dial us up."  
  
"Do not," the Goddess ordered, her eyes glowing ominously.  
  
"You use that on any one of us," he said nodding to the ribbon device, "and one of others will kill you before your victim hits the ground… you can't win."  
  
"Then I will take what I can get, the satisfaction of having one of my destroyers die with me."  
  
"You don't have to die, tell the people you killed your beloved because he tried to help us… let us go and we won't return."  
  
"It is that you won't return that I fear. I speak truthfully when I say the young one will not survive without me, I have made it so and so it will be."  
  
"What have you done then? Tell us."  
  
"It is not something that can be explained."  
  
"Dial it up, Carter."  
  
"Yes, sir,"  
  
Na'rya lowered her ribbon device in defeat, "I believe you will return, O'Neill. When you learn I had spoke the truth you will come here and seek me out in a futile search for questions that can not be answered with words. But when you come it will be too late…"  
  
"Daniel's a lot stronger than you give him credit for, whatever you've done to him, he'll overcome,"  
  
"My beloved said upon his arrival that I was hiding behind the title of a God, in this he was correct. I'll admit I'm no deity but my technology is so much greater than your own you could still call me such. You'll realize soon that what ales Daniel is not exactly the result of any weaponry… I respect him, O'Neill and so I will tell you this, if you leave here with him you must never return. Once you've left the answers that you seek will no longer be found on this soil but within yourself."  
  
Jack stared at her, surprised by the modesty and compassion in the speech. He had no doubt she was as cold blooded as any Goa'uld they'd yet met but there was some underlying peculiarity about this one… something telling him that maybe despite her thirst for blood she'd managed to hang onto her soul.  
  
The Stargate sparked to life and pulled back into itself, Jack nodded to Teal'c who nodded and took Daniel through. Moving around the Goa'uld he would never trust he came and stood by Carter.  
  
"For what it's worth," the woman said. "You were right, your friend never gave in to me… I'm not saying I didn't take what I wanted, I did. But he fought me all the way…"  
  
Carter had to grab the Colonel's arm to keep him from raising his weapon, had that been meant to reassure him?  
  
"I never doubted it," O'Neill growled. "And you don't have to worry… I've no intention of ever returning and you can be rest assured that Daniel sure as hell won't."  
  
Makepeace and his men came out of the trees, guns at ready. Jack motioned them to lower the weapons. O'Neill motioned for the marines to enter the Stargate and then told Carter to go in as well.  
  
With one last look at the beautiful Goddess, Jack stepped through.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack paced back and forth in the small infirmary, no longer able to sit in this endless vigil.  
  
The team had returned hours ago and still Daniel remained unresponsive. Janet had taken blood samples to try and determine what he had been drugged with and how to counteract them but Jack was more worried about Daniel's emotional health.  
  
How much could the kid take?  
  
It had only been a couple months since Hathor. What she had done to him was the kind of thing you thought would never happen twice.  
  
Because more often than not, once was all anyone could handle.  
  
But Daniel wasn't anybody, Jack reminded himself. Daniel wasn't like anyone Jack had ever met… he had a spirit that just couldn't be broken, Jack was sure.  
  
But it was going to be more than a little bruised, though.  
  
"My God," the startled gasp from inside the doors was all the invitation Jack needed.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
Janet was standing near a sedated Daniel staring at a sheet of paper in disbelief.  
  
"What?" Jack asked again. "What is it?"  
  
"He's got nano-technology in his blood, similar to the ones that infected you…"  
  
"Christ, is there a chance they could spread?"  
  
Janet shook her head, "No, it seems with these the opposite is happening, they don't want to leave Daniel, they aren't trying to spread they're determined not to be removed."  
  
"Any idea what they do? I mean is Daniel going to start to age?"  
  
"I don't think so, I think if that were the case we'd already be seeing a difference."  
  
"So you don't know what they're doing?"  
  
"No, but maybe Daniel does."  
  
Jack nodded, they couldn't very well ask him now, he was out cold. And so well he should be. After all he'd been through. After all he'd endured.  
  
"Right, well I don't plan on going anywhere until he wakes up so I can ask him."  
  
Janet nodded, knowing better than to argue that the Colonel should get some sleep. "Come get me when he starts to wake up."  
  
Jack sat down in the chair by Daniel's side and placed his head in his hands. He had let this happen. How could he have let this happen?  
  
He was getting tired of everything happening to Daniel. He would much rather it be happening to himself. He was better prepared.  
  
He could have handled what had happened to Daniel with out blinking an eye. Because he didn't feel things on the same level as Daniel. And even though he had no doubts that Daniel was stronger than he was Daniel still suffered more from these 'accidents' than he himself ever would.  
  
"Ja'k," gasped a small voice.  
  
Jack's head shot up, "Daniel!" How the hell had he fought off the sedative so quick?  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"We got out, we're home."  
  
Daniel nodded but something was wrong. Something was different. "What happened to Na'rya?"  
  
"Na'rya? Is that the name of the Goa'uld?"  
  
Daniel nodded vaguely, much too tired to do anything else.  
  
"Oh, well she's still on that planet, she let us go, actually. Kind of anyway, we had her outnumbered but she surrendered and I was impressed."  
  
"Na'rya is different than the others," Daniel said quietly. "She's not as prideful, she's smarter… more cunning."  
  
"Great," Jack said. "Just what we need. Now you stay here, I'm going to go get Janet."  
  
Daniel nodded again and Jack peeked into Janet's office returning moments later with her at his side.  
  
"Daniel, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Um, dizzy, a little but otherwise fine."  
  
Janet nodded, using her pen light and a thermometer for a quick examination. She looked up with a smile. "Well, everything looks fine, but Daniel I have to ask you, do you know anything about the nano-technology in your blood?"  
  
Daniel nodded, "Yes, Na'rya gave them to me, they keep me from aging."  
  
Both Janet and Jack gasped, "What?"  
  
Daniel waved his hand dismissively, "Apparently the technology can work both ways…" he told them before falling into a restless sleep.  
  
Jack ran a hand over his face, keeps him from aging? What were they going to do about this one?  
  
To be continued… 


	2. The Darkest Prison

The Glass Chamber  
  
by Layton Colt  
  
Daniel is drawn back to Na'rya, believing he needs to be with her… once again SG-1 must find a way to get him back if Daniel can't find the way home on his own.  
  
Authors Notes: I tried to make this good but I'm not sure I succeeded. I think it's a little rushed but I just really *really* wanted to get it done with. It came out with an entirely different outcome than I had planned and I hope that none of you are disappointed.  
  
  
  
Part Two: The Darkest Prison  
  
He had to get back.  
  
He needed to return to her, even now he could hear her sweet voice calling to him, beckoning for him to join her at her side.  
  
Calls as soft as whispers echoing in his hazed mind.  
  
Ripping the IV out from his arm Daniel stood on shaky legs. How would he be able to get back to her? They would try to stop him, he was sure and he wasn't in any condition to fight them.  
  
But he had to return. He wasn't completely sure why but it was an impulse he couldn't fight.  
  
Didn't want to fight.  
  
He wanted to return to his queen. Caress her soft lips and rule by her side.  
  
Why had he ever left? Who was he to defy a Queen? His God?  
  
Suddenly Daniel felt nauseous, grabbing his side he looked wildly around the infirmary. He *needed* to get out of here.  
  
Only Na'rya could ease this pain… get rid of the emptiness.  
  
Hearing slight snoring Daniel turned, Jack was draped over a white plastic chair fast asleep.  
  
Jack had taken him from Na'rya. He was the enemy. All of them were… just slaves pretending to be more.  
  
Glaring at the lone figure Daniel left the room, the lights were at half intensity signifying that it was night.  
  
Good, less people to contend with. Daniel stopped off at his office and changed into a spare set of fatigues.  
  
He had to act fast, Jack never slept for long periods when one of his team was ill.  
  
Daniel strolled into the gate control area and smiled at the airman on duty.  
  
The airman smiled widely, "Doctor Jackson, it's good to see you up and around."  
  
Daniel smiled wider, "I was just released, I came up here to go through some addresses. Sam wanted me to look at them, she thought they might be Abdonyian glyphs." Daniel grimaced, he knew he was making absolutely no sense, he only hoped the airman didn't catch on.  
  
The man stared at him blankly, he'd been caught once in Daniel's office and had to listen for an hour about an ancient culture he'd never heard of, he tended to simply smile and nod in their future encounters, "Of course… um, go right ahead. Need any help?"  
  
Daniel shook his head, "No, no help. Coffee would be nice, though."  
  
The airman nodded eagerly and left, Daniel turned to the computer and quickly dialed the address for Na'rya's planet.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The klaxons woke Jack and he jumped to his feet. Realizing that Daniel was no longer in the bed just as the words 'Unauthorized Gate Access' rang through the halls.  
  
Jack was running even before he was fully awake. He had no doubts who was trying to use the gate, he didn't waste time trying to figure out why.  
  
"Sir!" Carter yelled as she jogged up beside him. "What's going on?"  
  
"No idea, but I'm willing to bet it's got something to do with Daniel."  
  
Carter gave her CO a quizzical look as they both increased there sped. Running up the stairs into the briefing room they didn't even acknowledge Hammond as they looked down into the gate room below.  
  
The gate was active, the shimmering wormhole was glowing slightly, casting an eerie light on the room's lone occupant.  
  
Daniel.  
  
"The blast doors have been sealed," Hammond was telling them. "We can't stop him."  
  
Daniel was staring at the wormhole as though it was the first time he'd seen the phenomenon. Jack watched feeling helpless as Daniel reached out his hand to touch it.  
  
"Don't do it…" Jack whispered. Trying to keep Daniel from proceeding through with nothing but sheer force of will.  
  
It didn't work. Without so much as a backwards glance, Daniel was gone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Na'rya smiled as she paced the vast thrown room. She had felt her beloved return.  
  
She had known he would despite her warnings to the warrior O'Neill. She had severely doubted the changes she had inflicted on the young man could be overcome by friendship.  
  
She hadn't lied to O'Neill… she had given him a chance to save the one whom would become her next pharaoh but he failed. And now he was hers.  
  
She'd ignore the pity she held for these slaves. The unfamiliar sensations that assaulted her when she was near her young chosen.  
  
She was a Queen… a God. She had to fight these weaknesses if she wished to become strong again and retake her empire.  
  
She looked up as Casen entered the room, "Your beloved has been taken to your quarters as you requested, my queen. He is not fighting any longer."  
  
Na'rya's lips curved upwards, "Well, I suppose not… who has ever been able to fight the nano-technology? The only wonder is how he withstood its powers for so long."  
  
Casen only nodded vaguely. Still unsure of what to make of those his Queen would call the 'Tau'ri'.  
  
"I want you to keep a look out for his companions. In the chance they are foolish enough to once again try and return."  
  
Casen nodded. "As you wish."  
  
Na'rya made her way through the halls, anticipation and longing at seeing the one whom she had chosen nagging at her. She fought the feelings back, he was her beloved, yes but he was still a slave and these feelings were not appropriate.  
  
Not at all fitting of a God.  
  
Raising her chin and changing back into the ruthless Goddess that had first abducted SG-1 she entered the room.  
  
Daniel stood at the other side, looking out the window at the people struggling with everyday life only twenty feet below.  
  
"You have returned," Na'rya's voice was cold. Obviously angry at him defying her and leaving her in the first place.  
  
Daniel turned at the voice, "My Queen," he breathed as he dropped to his knees.  
  
Na'rya smiled at his obedience… ignoring the fact that part of her missed his passion. "You need not bow to me my chosen."  
  
Daniel rose but kept his eyes downcast. Gently, Na'rya reached out and lifted his chin. "What is wrong, love? Are you not pleased to be reunited with me?"  
  
Daniel's eyes widened, "Of course! I was worried you'd be angry with me."  
  
Na'rya's anger had seemed to have dissipated and she smiled again, "I am no longer mad… we have too much to do to focus on trivialities such as this. Besides, I allowed you to leave me. Had I wished I could have forced you to remain."  
  
Daniel nodded, "Why did you let me leave?"  
  
Na'rya didn't answer at first, unsure of the answer, "To see if you would return," she said at last.  
  
('I respect him, O'Neill and so I will tell you this, if you leave here with him you must never return. Once you've left the answers that you seek will no longer be found on this soil but within yourself.')  
  
Her own words echoed through her head. She had been weak. She had given O'Neill the answer, albeit in cryptic terms. Fortunately he had not understood just how much she had revealed with those few words.  
  
He had not realized that he and he alone held the key to saving Daniel Jackson. He had failed to keep the young man safe and now Na'rya was determined to keep him as her pharaoh.  
  
From now until eternity she would keep him by her side.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack was livid. How could this have happened? He glared at the airman standing a few feet away as he paced through the briefing room.  
  
"And you didn't think it odd that Dr. Jackson was coming to do this at 2:00, after just being brought back from a week of imprisonment?" Jack asked harshly.  
  
The airman lowered his head, "He looked fine… I just… he was talking about hieroglyphs and said that Captain Carter asked him to look at something. I didn't know he was still supposed to be in the infirmary."  
  
Jack continued to glare and General Hammond sighed, "That's alright, son. You couldn't have known that this would happen."  
  
Janet walked into the room and nodded at the General and SG-1.  
  
"Dr. Frasier," the General greeted. "Can you come up with any theories about why Dr. Jackson would go back to that planet?"  
  
Janet sighed, "The only possible explanation is that the nano-technology I found in his system is doing this to him. Maybe it's some form of mind control or just something to draw him back… I can't be sure without knowing more about the technology."  
  
The General nodded, "That sounds like as good a guess as any."  
  
Jack looked at them impatiently, "Okay, so what are we going to do about it?"  
  
"Well, I'm reluctant to send another team after him…" the General began.  
  
"Then don't send *another* team. Send mine. We'll bring Daniel back."  
  
Carter and Teal'c nodded in silent agreement. Both were ready to head back and bring Daniel home already. There would be no waiting a week this time they wanted their missing fourth home already.  
  
"Colonel, I have to think of all the risks…"  
  
"Okay then think of the risks of leaving Daniel with a Goa'uld when there's a chance he's been compromised. The kid has practically every workable address we've discovered memorized. He's got too much knowledge to just let him stay there."  
  
The General sighed. He knew there would be no way to talk Jack out believing he should rescue Daniel. Or Captain Carter and Teal'c for that matter.  
  
He could order him. And he would honor that order -most likely- but he'd lose what was left of SG-1 if he denied them this chance.  
  
He knew without a doubt if they didn't get Dr. Jackson back they'd all be permanently changed. And not for the better.  
  
"I suggest you and your team come up with a plan, Colonel. You leave at 08:00."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Casen watched as the young man paced the room, seemingly quite agitated. His fists would clench and unclench as he turned to start the other way. His Queen was watching him with some amusement.  
  
"You're still fighting? You don't like my idea of creating an army of Jaffa with the people below?"  
  
Daniel turned to her, some of the fire had returned to his eyes, "Of course I don't like that idea!"  
  
Now Na'rya's eyes had narrowed, "I am your God, am I not?"  
  
"Yes," Daniel said without hesitation.  
  
"Then how can you claim I would be wrong in these actions? If I am a God and this is what I wish?"  
  
"I don't know," Daniel said quietly, his conviction of this being terribly wrong fading.  
  
Na'rya placed her hand on Daniel's cheek, "We will make our children soon and then we will create an army that would rival that of even Apophis… but for now you must rest, regain your strength."  
  
Casen stood straighter as Na'rya approached him, "Watch him closely, Casin… it would appear he has not yet given up the fight."  
  
Casen nodded, turning to the young man in confusion as his queen left. Still fighting? How could he still be fighting if his queen did not wish him to?  
  
He'd been under the impression that gods were all powerful.  
  
He was beginning to believe that he was terribly mistaken.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Alright," Jack said as he paced his small office. "This should at least be easier this time, we have a better idea of what to expect."  
  
The other two members of SG-1 nodded, "Yes, we know the best way to reach the palace and we've learned some of its layout," Sam agreed.  
  
"Yet again we will not know what to expect of DanielJackson's condition," Teal'c reminded. "He could very well not wish to be rescued."  
  
Jack sighed, he'd been trying not to think about that. "If he doesn't want to come Teal'c that's where you come in, don't give him a choice."  
  
Teal'c nodded solemnly, understanding the order but not happy with having to forcibly drag DanielJackson back to the Stargate as he would likely have to.  
  
"I'll bet that this Na'rya has upped her security and that she probably expects us so we need to be ready for a fight. As for getting into the palace that probably won't be easy either but at least she doesn't have many Jaffa."  
  
"Ah, sir," Carter interrupted. "I think we need to consider the possibility that she has, um-- acquired-- some more Jaffa."  
  
"What do you--?" And then visions of a bathtub filled with Goa'uld larva flashed in his mind and he didn't need to finish the question. "Right. Of course. Dammit, we've got to get there *before* that happens!"  
  
Carter nodded, "We have to prepare for all outcomes, sir. You know that, even if we don't like it these things have to be considered. Daniel's life depends on it."  
  
Jack ran a hand through his hair, realizing Carter was right but not wanting to even entertain the possibility of what she was suggesting. "I do know that, okay, so even if she does have more Jaffa… we know the layout of the palace, we should be able to do a thorough search in a short amount of time."  
  
Teal'c nodded, "I do not believe that the Goa'uld will expect us to attack so promptly, seeing as how we waited a week before rescuing DanielJackson the first time."  
  
Jack nodded, "Even if she is, we go in with extreme prejudice, alright? Shoot first ask questions later. We have only one objective and that's to get Daniel home safe."  
  
'To hell with everyone else on that damn planet,' Jack thought bitterly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An army of Jaffa?  
  
God, he felt sick again. He couldn't let this happen. He knew he couldn't but at the same time he knew he could not go against his queen.  
  
Daniel paced the small room tirelessly. Unaware of the dark eyes watching him intently from the doorway.  
  
This was wrong, wasn't it?  
  
"Chosen," a deep voice said.  
  
Daniel looked up in surprise to see Na'rya's first prime staring at him.  
  
"I must speak with you."  
  
Daniel nodded, slightly surprised to be spoken to by someone other than Na'rya, all of his attempts to communicate with the guards and villagers had been ignored.  
  
"I must know about your life before you came here."  
  
"Before?" Daniel asked, seeming confused that he had ever lived any other place.  
  
Casen nodded, "Yes, before, with the traitor Teal'c and the one you call O'Neill, and the woman, Carter."  
  
"Oh," Daniel said. "That time was meaningless, I was confused."  
  
"Were you," Casen asked. "Or is it now that you have been made unsure."  
  
"I am not unsure," Daniel said indignantly. "I am Na'rya's beloved, her chosen. All else is irrelevant."  
  
Casen stared deeply into clouded blue eyes, "Can't you feel that she he has changed you? That this is not who you once were?"  
  
"I am a slave," the soft voice protested. "I could never be more…"  
  
"You are much more, young Daniel. You have made me doubt my queen, does that sound like something a slave could be capable of? You fought her before… if I'm to help you then you must continue to fight."  
  
"But I don't want to fight! Not any more… I'm a slave, Na'rya's beloved. I am nothing, just as you are nothing. Replaceable."  
  
"I don't believe that… not any more."  
  
"Then you are a fool."  
  
"It is no longer I that Na'rya has fooled," Casen said evenly. "I do not wish my people to be made like me. You must not let her turn them into Jaffa, you must fight her."  
  
"You cannot fight a god," Daniel said brokenly.  
  
"You can, I have seen you do so, and do it well. I do not ask this of you without planning to give you something in return. Help me to defeat Na'rya and I will give you your freedom, both physical and mental."  
  
"I don't understand,"  
  
"The nano-technology in your blood, it does indeed regulate your age but that is but a secondary purpose. Firstly it is a form of mind control."  
  
"Mind control?"  
  
"Yes, it is supposed to make its victim blindly loyal but it seems to be faltering within you. Either you are stronger than she believed or she did not give you the right amount."  
  
Daniel pressed his eyes shut, what Casen was saying seemed right, it made sense. But at the same time it was wrong, inconceivable.  
  
Part of Daniel screamed to call for Na'rya and tell her of this one's betrayal, but the other part, the part that believed what Casen was saying wouldn't allow him to.  
  
"What did you have planned?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack looked at the fallen bodies with a morbid satisfaction. The gate had indeed been guarded, and the Jaffa had sought cover as the wormhole formed but Teal'c god bless him had known all of their tricks and used some strategically placed staff blasts to draw them into the clearing.  
  
From their Carter and O'Neill had followed Teal'c's lead and shot at anything that moved. It was a strategy that Daniel no doubt would disagree with, but with their conscience missing, the three soldiers were willing to go to any lengths to get him back.  
  
"Off to the palace," O'Neill said as he started across the path, opting to forgo the stealthy route and take the more direct approach.  
  
Sam and Teal'c followed close behind watching for signs of trouble. Sam was glad to see that there wasn't an abundant surge of new Jaffa. Maybe they weren't too late after all.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You want me to what!" Daniel cried.  
  
"It is the only option, I can not fight Na'rya alone."  
  
Daniel shook his head, "They won't listen to me, they won't help… they're too frightened."  
  
Casen sighed, he knew he was asking a lot of the young man but he needed to turn the villagers to his cause. "I have heard you speak, you do so with passion and conviction. You are very hard not to believe."  
  
Daniel shook his head, "Who am I to tell them their god isn't really a god? I told you, they won't listen, I know because I'll be telling them something they don't want to hear."  
  
"You have to *make* them hear you, I have faith in you, chosen… when you and your three comrades were brought forth I saw immediately that you were all warriors, but when you spoke I learned that your weapon of choice was words. You must convince my people to overthrow Na'rya, if you do not, we are all condemned. You most of all."  
  
Daniel sighed, conflicting emotions raging within him, ignoring the treacherous voice telling him to report Casen as a traitor he nodded, "I'll do my best,"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As they approached the village, the three SG-1 members were surprised to hear a familiar voice carrying across the masses.  
  
"Na'rya is not your god! She is a blasphemer who has made a mockery of your beliefs! She is starving you and your families and plans to take your men to make them into her army."  
  
Jack looked at Daniel in disbelief, he was standing on a platform, pleading with the people below. Trying to push through the crowd, he and the others tried to reach him.  
  
"I beg of you to take faith in what is right. Look beyond the blind religion she has bound in you and fight for your freedom!"  
  
At first the crowd just stared at him dumbly, moments later a few began to shout that he was the blasphemer… but then one stood up and said that maybe he was right, and others followed the example.  
  
"Daniel!"  
  
Daniel looked down at the shout, surprised to see Jack climbing onto the platform in an attempt to reach him. His first thought was that he had been located by the enemy, but he soon remembered what Casen had told him, about how he had been changed and knew that Jack was a friend.  
  
"Jack," he said his voice sounding unsure.  
  
"You okay, kid," Jack asked as he reached him, taking hold of his arm in a firm grasp.  
  
Daniel nodded, "Yes, Casen, a Jaffa helped me sneak out of the palace, he-- "  
  
"You can tell me back at the base," Jack said as he started to pull Daniel towards Carter and Teal'c who were still weaving through the mob.  
  
"We can't leave yet," Daniel said immediately and with absolute certainty. "I've started this, I've got an obligation to finish it," he said motioning to the crowd of increasingly angry villagers.  
  
And their conscience was back and in working order.  
  
Jack smiled patronizingly, "We most certainly can leave, you may have started this but it's *their* obligation to finish it, not yours."  
  
"I made a promise, Jack,"  
  
"And I made a promise to bring you home,"  
  
"If you just trust in me, we can all get what we want,"  
  
Jack rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to throw Daniel over his shoulder and carry him to the Stargate. "Just what did you promise to do?"  
  
Daniel took a zat out form him waistband, with a quickness that surprised the Colonel, "To finish this," he said simply.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Casen stood stiffly in front of the Chosen's room, his hand gripped only slightly too tight around his staff weapon.  
  
Na'rya appeared around the corner with a quiet grace, but her eyes were burning gray coals and he tensed… she was obviously upset by something.  
  
"Where is my chosen?"  
  
Casen swallowed, not sure how to answer, it sounded to him as though Na'rya already knew that Daniel was no longer in his room. "He is asleep."  
  
Na'rya's eyes flashed and she stepped forward. "Really?"  
  
Casen looked her in the eye, "I am your loyal servant my queen. To you, I would never lie."  
  
"Of course, Casen my loyal servant," Na'rya's eyes took on a guarded look, a veil dropping over her steely grey eyes. "Of course you are not as loyal as you would have me believe, are you? You should have listened when I told you that if you turned against me that I would find out."  
  
Casen adjusted his grip on his staff, pulling it into a horizontal position.  
  
Na'rya smirked evilly and raised her ribbon device, "Do you believe I'll let you live long enough to use that on me?" she asked with a deceptive sweetness.  
  
Casen glared at her, "It matters not what you do to me, I will not be the last to rise against you. Your rule is near it's end. There will be others."  
  
"Then I will kill others."  
  
"At first, but then there will be too many, you can only kill us to a point. And once you pass that point you have to stop or you will have no more people in which to rule."  
  
"You are all weak, you will break long before I reach this *point*!"  
  
"You won't live to break them, Na'rya."  
  
Na'rya stiffened at the voice behind her. The voice of her beloved.  
  
"I'll make sure of that." Daniel adjusted his grip on the zat, his team standing protectively at his side.  
  
Casen smiled at the Tau'ri. "You stayed. I was unsure if you would."  
  
Daniel smiled back, "Of course, now -Na'rya- why don't you just turn around."  
  
Na'rya reluctantly did so, leaving Casen free behind her. He grabbed her right arm and pulled off the ribbon device.  
  
Na'rya's eyes glowed angrily when she saw O'Neill, "You!" she spat. "You are a fool for returning, a fool for not listening to my advice."  
  
"Your advice?" Jack echoed. "You didn't tell me anything I didn't already know."  
  
"Then you listened not hard enough," she said coldly. "This is all your doing. My entire empire is crashing around me because of you!"  
  
Jack smiled charmingly, "Enough with the flattery, my lady. Why don't you just tell me what the hell you did to Daniel?"  
  
Na'rya set her jaw, the flaming eyes flaring up once more.  
  
"I can tell you what she will not," Casen said as he placed steel shackles around Na'rya's delicate wrists. "The nano-technology in the chosen's blood is telling him things he wouldn't ordinarily believe, it is controlling him… or at least it should be," Casen said with admiration. "But he has fought it admirably."  
  
"How can I get them out of me though," Daniel asked. "I can't keep fighting it."  
  
"You cannot deny my control, Daniel," Na'rya said confidently. "You belong to me."  
  
Casen shook his head, "She lies, there is a way. She has already told you all you need to know."  
  
Jack looked at him disbelievingly, "You want to remind me?"  
  
"The answer is within you, O'Neill, you too have faced the nano-technology have you not?"  
  
Jack nodded, "Yes, they sped up my aging."  
  
Casen nodded, "But they were deactivated within you, and they are the answer to deactivated the one's within the chosen."  
  
Sam's eyes lit up with understanding, "That might work, sir. You still have some of the nanites in your blood, if we transplanted them into Daniel it might start a chain reaction that deactivates his. We already know that the nanites transmit to their fellows."  
  
Jack nodded, "Are you sure that will work?" he asked Casen.  
  
"There are no certainties, O'Neill but it is your best and I fear only hope."  
  
"Right, you gonna be okay here, with her?" Jack queried eyeing the goddess dubiously.  
  
Casen nodded, "I will be fine, for perhaps the first time in my life. I will make sure my people remain free."  
  
Teal'c nodded his approval, "There will be Jaffa who will fight you. The villagers have rebelled and taken them prisoner. But they are not the true enemy…"  
  
Casen nodded again, understanding only as a fellow Jaffa could, "I will not punish them for being true to the one they believe is their god. I will try to explain to them that she is not who she claims."  
  
Teal'c smiled slightly, assured that this man was one of integrity and would watch over his people.  
  
"You'll not rid yourselves of me," Na'rya promised with an eerie certainty. "Our paths will cross again. There is no doubt of this."  
  
Jack took hold of Daniel's arm, "We'll be leaving now," Jack smiled sweetly at the Goa'uld. "It's been a pleasure," he said with false politeness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Daniel eyed the IV in his arm grimly, his attempts to convince Janet of his wellness had been ignored and he was stuck in the infirmary for the night, according to Janet lucky not to be in restraints for returning to Na'rya's planet before she was done with him.  
  
"Hey buddy," Jack said as he entered. "Can you leave yet?"  
  
"No," he said petulantly as he crossed his arms.  
  
Janet had extracted some of Jack's nanites and injected them into Daniel, rendering the one's affecting the linguist useless in only moments. Daniel thought that it was unfair he had to stay now that he was himself again.  
  
Jack smirked at Daniel's response, glad to have him back. "Well, when are you going to be free?"  
  
"Tomorrow," the young linguist brightened slightly at the prospect.  
  
Dropping into the chair beside the bed Jack looked Daniel over for any injuries he might have missed.  
  
"What?" Daniel asked shying away from the intense scrutiny.  
  
Jack shook his head, "Nothing, just making sure you're really alright."  
  
Daniel nodded, "I am, and I'm sorry about going back through the gate like that…"  
  
O'Neill held up his hand, "Don't worry about it, you weren't yourself. Everyone understands that."  
  
Daniel didn't respond and Jack had to fill the silence, "So, how are you doing?"  
  
"Fine. I feel fine."  
  
Jack nodded. Right. Fine. Who wouldn't be? He'd only been made a slave, then made to believe he wanted to be a slave, then ignited a rebellion against a god. Of course he was fine.  
  
"Good."  
  
"The darkest prison," Daniel said quietly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Na'rya, she said that the darkest prison is the mind. A place we can punish ourselves for our crimes."  
  
Jack nodded, "That's probably the only thing she's ever said that comes so close to the truth."  
  
Daniel smiled slightly and continued talking, "Prisons lead to madness, if you isolate yourself long enough. They'll destroy you, little by little. I don't want that to happen to me, Jack."  
  
Jack sat up straighter, "Why would you think it would?"  
  
Daniel placed his head in his hands, "It was like being a host," he said quietly. "Or at least what I imagine it's like being a host… there was this evil little voice inside me telling me to do things I didn't agree with but couldn't stop. I didn't know I had something like that in me…"  
  
"You don't," Jack said quickly. "Jesus, Daniel, you were under her control. It was the nano-technology, not you."  
  
Daniel shook his head, "You don't know that, maybe the nanites just influence its victim's darker thoughts. We don't understand the technology. We can't know for sure."  
  
"I know for sure," Jack said with certainty. "You wouldn't willingly hurt anyone Daniel. Hell, you didn't hurt anyone when you *were* infected with those nanites. You fought it. Fought her. There's nothing to feel guilty about."  
  
Daniel sighed, "Why does this keep happening to me, Jack? What is it about me that makes such a perfect target?"  
  
Jack looked at Daniel, unsure where the question came from. "What do you mean? We've all been in some scrapes since we started here."  
  
"Yes, but none of you so much as me," Daniel sighed. "I'm not whining. If one of us is hurt I would rather it be me but I can't understand why I keep attracting trouble."  
  
"You got me," Jack shrugged. "Look Daniel, it's not you. It's not. You're just having a bit of bad luck, you didn't do anything to deserve it and you didn't do anything to provoke it."  
  
"I'm just unlucky," Daniel repeated dubiously.  
  
"Yep," O'Neill said with an evil smirk. "Don't worry, we'll buy you a rabbit's foot."  
  
Daniel rolled his eyes, "There's really no point in trying to hold a serious *adult* conversation with you, is there?"  
  
"None whatsoever. But don't let that stop you from trying."  
  
Daniel smiled, "Thanks Jack,"  
  
"Anytime, I'm always here to listen,"  
  
"Oh I'm not thanking you for listening to me,"  
  
O'Neill frowned, "Then why,"  
  
"For offering to buy me a rabbit's foot, really, you've gotten rid of all my worries. I'll be safe now."  
  
"Smart ass," Jack muttered good naturedly.  
  
The End.  
  
Sorry it ends kind of stupid… I'm not very good at endings, but if I don't stop somewhere I'd never finish. Wow, isn't that profound? I never knew I was so deep. ;) 


End file.
